Introduction to ZZZ 2.5 Hollow Zero Prep
Patch 2.5 kicks off Dec 30 and runs through Feb 17, 2026—Phase 1 spotlights Zhao from Dec 30 to Jan 21, then Phase 2 brings Ye and Ellen until Feb 17. Hollow Zero's Ice meta dominates for those 100+ floor clears, and Zhao's HP-tanking prowess shines here. Pair him with Ellen for 120+ Shiyu scores (hitting 90k S+, netting 720-780 Poly). Or go Ellen/Lycaon/Soukaku/Butler for the same benchmarks—25% Ice RES shred plus +100% CRIT on Flash Freeze. Stock up on Ether Battery (60 Backup +1 Prepaid), hit Arcade and Notorious Hunt, and grab those daily 300 Poly. Zhao's Ult? A monster 4234.7% Ice DMG over 12s Ether Veil (+40% CRIT DMG, +650 Sheer Force, +30% squad DMG, full invuln). Game-changer.
Top 2.4 Agents for Zhao Ice Builds
Ellen stays S-tier. Her +100% CRIT Flash Freeze dazed 37.5% of bosses, and she pairs brutally with Zhao for hybrid damage against 60 DEF foes (-20% Ether RES). Zhao/Ellen/Pan Yinhu pushes 120+ Shiyu easy. How? Upgrade her Freeze AoE first, slot Zhao's EX for 4s multi-hits and heals, then quick-swap after Ult.
Lycaon earns solid A+ status—25% Ice RES shred, +80% Daze multiplier, and +40% Ether/Ice shred in Co-Op. Ellen/Lycaon/Soukaku shreds Hollow Zero past 100 floors no sweat. Build tip: Prioritize him over engines; core is 1 DPS + Stun + Buff. Stack Soukaku's Vortex for max output.
Soukaku delivers +1000 ATK at 3 Vortex stacks (via EX/Ult/Chain/Special). She buffs Zhao through Shiyu stage 5's three rooms. Miyabi/Lycaon/Soukaku pulls SS clears. Flex her as buffer—stack Vortex pre-Zhao Ult, slot into Zhao/Ellen/Ye comps.
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Ye rounds out S-tier: 3s stagger, 30% vuln debuff, 40% DMG up, 2000% Chain mult. Synergizes perfectly with Zhao's Veil. Zhao/Ellen/Ye nails Shiyu S+ at 90k. Rotation: Zhao EX/Ult into Ye summons/Chain; pump Hormone Punk past 3000 ATK; chain Basics into strong attacks.
Full Build Guides for Key Agents
Zhao, the S-tier Ice/HP tank. 4-hit Basic gives i-frames, EX delivers 4s multi/heals/invuln, M1 ignores 12% RES off-field—plus +0.05 ATK per HP. HP-scaling W-Engines (sword/axe/ice sword) let him tank Shiyu 30 DEF bosses with 12s stuns. Steps: Max HP. Ult for 4234.7% DMG + Veil. Rot: Basic (0-4s) > EX (4s) > Ult (12s) > swap.
Ellen thrives on Flash Freeze +100% CRIT and Daze with Zhao—hybrid DPS for Hollow Ice pen. Prioritize CRIT/ATK. Upgrade AoE skills, pair with Pan Yinhu heals, unleash post-Zhao Veil.
Lycaon shreds HP+RES (80% Daze mult); Soukaku Vortex pumps ATK buffs. Ellen/Lycaon/Soukaku/Butler saves 80 Boopon energy. Lycaon stun focus; Soukaku 3-stack Vortex; sync Co-Op factions/elements.
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Drive Disc Sets & Stat Priorities
Zhao: HP gear fuels ATK/DMG/utility, prioritize RES Pen/Stun; Veil subs on HP%, CRIT DMG. HP body main stat; ATK%/RES shred subs. Test in Shiyu.
Ye: Fallen Frost 4-set (Physical/Chain); Hormone Punk (>3000 ATK Anomaly Prof); Chase (CRIT/ATK, Calibrator subs). Fanged Metal W-Eng; Basic Phys Chip 25/Adv 75/Spec 250, 3.7M Denny. 4 Fallen Frost; Calibrator CRIT; Anomaly Prof subs.
Supports like Lycaon/Soukaku? Hormone Punk for those ATK buffs.
Zhao Ice Team Comps & Rotations
Core comps: Zhao/Ellen/Pan Yinhu (Daze/Ice/heals for 120+ Shiyu). Zhao/Ellen/Ye (Veil + summons + Daze, +40% CRIT DMG/30% vuln). Ellen/Lycaon/Soukaku/Butler (AoE freeze). Always 1 DPS + Stun + Buff; faction/element sync. Rot: Zhao Basic i-frames > EX heals > Ult Veil; swap to Ye Chain (2000%) or Ellen Freeze; Quick Assist chains. Hollow Zero loves Ice pen for 100+ floors/Notorious high-DEF. Co-Op? Pan heals stage 5, Yuzuha +600 ATK/40s.
Comparisons: Zhao Ice vs Other Teams
Data shows Ellen/Lycaon/Soukaku/Butler edges Zhao/Ellen, both topping Yixuan in Shiyu clears. Against Miyabi (+100% CRIT charged/Yixuan DEF ignore), Zhao holds competitive for 100+ Hollow. F2P? Lycaon/Qingyi/Jane/Soukaku beats Billy/Anby/Piper.
- Shiyu Score: Zhao Ice 120+; Miyabi 100+; Yixuan 110+.
- Hollow Floors: 100+; 110+; 105+.
- Sustain: High (Veil/heals); Medium; Low.
(Editor's take: Zhao demands 14.4k Poly, but Miyabi feels higher priority if you're skipping.)
Common Mistakes & Pitfalls
Skipping stun/buff? Bolt in Lycaon/Soukaku (25% shred, +1000 ATK). Zhao stats: HP > DEF—don't skimp on Hormone Punk ATK. Ditch standards; hoard 28.8k Poly, save 12.8k via Butler. Fix rotations without i-frames; test Shiyu stage 5; check Side Panel teams/logs. Characters over engines, always.
Resource Planning & Pull Guide
Pull order: Miyabi > Yixuan > Zhao (1% S-Rank, 160-pull guarantee/25.6k Poly). F2P? Hoard 14.4k for Phase 1 (events + dailies). Bangboo: Butler for Ellen energy (80 Boopon save). Prep 2.4 agents; farm pre-Dec 30.
FAQ
Which 2.4 ZZZ agents are best for 2.5 Hollow Zero?
Ellen (CRIT Freeze), Lycaon (25% RES shred), Soukaku (+1000 ATK).
How to build Zhao’s Ice team?
HP-scaling Zhao + Ellen Daze + Lycaon/Soukaku stun; rot Basic > EX > Ult > swap.
Best team for Shiyu Defense 120+?
Zhao/Ellen/Pan Yinhu or Ellen/Lycaon/Soukaku/Butler (AoE freeze).
F2P options for Zhao Ice prep?
Lycaon/Qingyi/Jane/Soukaku; hoard 28.8k Poly, skip standards.
Hollow Zero rotation for Ice teams?
Zhao Veil (12s) > Ye Chain/Ellen Freeze; 1 DPS + Stun + Buff sync.
Why build 2.4 agents now for 2.5?
Ice meta; Ellen/Lycaon carry Zhao synergies for 100+ floors.
